Park County Sheriff
There is one political party Primary election for this race: Republican. All Republican affiliated and unaffiliated voters will be eligible to cast a vote in this race. Unaffiliated voters will receive both DEM and REP ballots. Unaffiliated voters must return only ONE ballot. The Sheriff's Office is responsible for a wide variety of public safety services that include providing law enforcement services in the unincorporated areas of the county as well as keeping the county jail, wild land fire suppression, search and rescue, and civil process service.
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Steve Spodyak
(Rep)
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Ahmet Susic
(Rep)
What are your top priorities for the office and how would you integrate them in your first 100 days?
Please explain your position on enforcing state laws within your jurisdiction.
What law enforcement based programs, if any, would you support to reduce subsistence crime (i.e. shoplifting, trespassing, personal use drug possession)?
Submitted Biography
Please see my website at: stevespodyakforsheriff.com
My top priorities are as follows:
1. Rejuvenate the Park County Sheriff's Office staff with a new Mission, Vision and Values. When implemented, this will give a new purpose to our staff, remind us why we do what we do, how we do what we do, and what we need to be focusing on to provide great service to our communities.
2. Work on ways to bring revenue into the PCSO to help offset some of the operational costs. Seeking out contract inmate holds to house in our jail and hiring a grant writer/manager to seek out, bring in and stay in compliance with grant opportunities to diversify revenue streams.
3. Work on recruiting, developing and promoting more home-grown staff. Adapting our recruitment to include more focus on recruiting people who are already invested in our communities and want to remain in Park County could greatly increase our staff retention.
I find this question curious.
Enforcing state laws in part of the core of Law Enforcement, specifically at the local level and as a County Sheriff. While there is room for discretion in statutes that do not contain the term "shall", as there should be, disregard for state laws should not be a practice of Sheriffs as a rule.
I think in certain instances, diversion programs can be successful, particularly with juveniles.
That said, I feel strongly that Colorado as a whole has become soft on crime, and even lower-level crimes have victims who are impacted. All too often, I feel that victims are forgotten and the focus in on the perpetrators and trying to help them.
I think that overall, stiffer penalties need to be used to deter crime instead of so many programs that coddle offenders. Additionally, repeat offenders have gotten so far out of control due to Colorados stance on keeping offenders out of jail and prison, that crime is rising and along with it, victimization. Second chances are one thing, but the line needs to be drawn with repeat offenders.
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